The present invention relates generally to cancer detection and, more particularly, to a cancer detection method involving the measurement, recording and analysis of temporal periodic perfusion changes associated with dysfunction of neuronal control of the vasculature surrounding cancerous lesions. While the present invention has application to cancer detection throughout the human body, it is particularly applicable to a breast cancer screening test involving the measurement of temporal changes in perfusion over large areas of the breasts to identify cancer. Specifically, cancer detection is derived from a time series of infrared images of an area of interest of a human breast. The infrared images relate to the temporal periodic perfusion changes and are converted by a computer to time series average temperature and standard deviation of each of a plurality of subareas. The data is then analyzed to identify clusters having abnormal temperature dependent frequencies indicative of cancer.